Dame Barbara Windsor diagnosed with Alzheimer’s

Scott Mitchell (right) says his 80-year-old wife has kept the devastating news secret since they were first told in 2014 - but that her symptoms have grown worse in recent weeks. Picture: John Stillwell/PA Wire

After shedding some tears, her first words were: “I’m so sorry”, Mr Mitchell added.

A small circle of friends who had begun to notice her occasional confusion were told shortly after the diagnosis, he said. But he stopped the news from going public after his wife struggled to come to terms with it.

He stressed that revealing the news any earlier would have been detrimental to her health.

Mr Mitchell told the paper he first noticed symptoms of the condition in 2009, just before Dame Barbara left EastEnders for the first time, when she began finding it difficult to learn her lines.

She underwent a series of mental agility tests, a brain scan and a lumbar puncture, before the couple’s worst fears were confirmed.

By 2016, her forgetfulness and confusion were getting worse, and it was agreed she would leave EastEnders for the final time, Mr Mitchell said.